Buyer beware as high court judgement on solar PV leaves consumers in limbo

The way the cuts to the solar PV incentive were introduced has been judged 'unlawful' by the High Court. Friends of the Earth, Solarcentury and HomeSun took the government to court, because the cut off date for the changes to to the feed-in tariff rates was before the end of the consultation period.

While this is a welcome confirmation that the process was thoroughly flawed, it also means that the whole schedule for change is up in the air. Climate change minister Greg Barker has said that the government will seek an appeal.

In the meantime, it is not yet clear what the ruling means for consumers, and whether the proposed dates or rates will be changed. Anyone signing a contract will be taking a risk as no one knows what the outcome will be. So if an installer tells you that you will definitely be eligible for a 43p rate of feed-in tariff, show them the door!